The Northeast-Midwest Institute (NEMWI) is pleased to announce the fourth session of the Great Lakes Primer and Orientation on harmful algal blooms (HABs) in the Great Lakes region. The webinar will take place on Wednesday, July 14th, at 11 AM EDT. Registration is open here.
Record HABs driven by nutrient loadings have affected water quality, fish populations, tourism, and the economy across the entire Great Lakes region. A bloom in western Lake Erie in August 2014 resulted in a drinking water advisory for the city of Toledo, Ohio, restricting water use for 400,000 people for three days. These events throughout the region severely impact the quality of life to all living in the Great Lakes community.
The webinar session will focus on the science behind HABs, the upcoming forecast of the severity of the western Lake Erie HAB, and policies aimed at reducing the growth of HABs throughout the region.
NEMWI Launches Great Lakes Legislative Tracker
To Monitor Great Lakes Bills
Updated as of July 6th, 2021
The Northeast-Midwest Institute has launched a Great Lakes Legislative Tracker to identify key Great Lakes legislation in process in the 117th Congress, and the progress and status of each of these bills. Currently, 38 bills and three resolutions are being tracked to examine the attention Congress is paying to Great Lakes and water legislation.
These bills are being tracked as they advance in the legislative process. Each bill is identified by its bill number and name, a brief description, any sponsors, the committee to which it is referred, and its status. This information is updated on a weekly basis, with a specific focus on the status and current position of the bill, tracking how each bill is moving through Congress.
Among the many bills tracked, notables include H.R.2008, the “Local Water Protection Act,” and H.R.2467, the “PFAS Action Act of 2021.” The Local Water Protection Act already passed the House, the only bill in the tracker to have done so, and it is currently in the Senate’s Committee on Environment and Public Works. The PFAS Action Act of 2021 is on schedule to be reported out of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce after being marked up and reported favorably in the past two weeks. Both of these bills, if passed into law, would have enormous implications for freshwater quality.
Climate change and failing infrastructure highlight the need for Congressional action, and the Northeast-Midwest Institute will continue to monitor the progress of this legislation in the months ahead. The Great Lakes Legislative Tracker can be viewedhere, and any questions can be directed to: Matt McKenna at mmckenna@nemw.org.
AMCC and NEMWI Webinar Examines
Biden Administration Manufacturing Policy
A webinar on Tuesday, June 29th, examined the Biden Administration’s executive orders and Congressional bills addressing U.S. manufacturing policy. The webinar, which was sponsored by the American Manufacturing Communities Collaborative (AMCC) and the Northeast-Midwest Institute (NEMWI) focused on how these efforts could boost the economy, encourage more green options, and advance diversity in the sector. This event was moderated by Matt Bogoshian, executive director of the AMCC.
The U.S. Innovation and Competition Act was highlighted as a major legislative initiative right now. Jon Cardinal, Director of Economic Development for Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, emphasized the positives of the current bill. The bill is sponsored by Senator Schumer and recently passed in the Senate on June 8th by a vote of 68-32, including 18 Republicans along with all of the Democrats. This makes the bill one of the most bipartisan bills so far during the Biden Administration. The goal of the bill is to strengthen the U.S.’s leadership in multiple emerging technological fields, such as artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and advanced energy. Mark Muro, Policy Director at the Brookings Institution, also talked extensively about the bill, citing how it would allocate $247 billion for manufacturing. This money would go toward strengthening manufacturing by increasing STEM education and promoting better working conditions.
Susan Helper, Senior Economist on the White House Council of Economic Advisors, gave an update on the Biden Administration’s efforts and mindset towards manufacturing. Helper stated, “National resilience is not the same as company resilience.” She noted that just because some American based companies were able to profit during the pandemic last year does not mean that the nation is better off as a whole. She asserted that the U.S. has begun its recovery from the hit it took, but there is still a ways to go, so this is why manufacturing has been a big focus of the Biden Administration thus far. She continued that the way the Administration has started to work toward these goals is by creating the Supply Chain Disruptions Task Force. A main focus of this task force is the stimulation of mining for rare earth minerals to overcome the current shortage and the effort to create more green policies in the face of the climate crisis.
Stephen Ezell, Vice President of Global Innovation Policy at the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF), shared some of his concerns with the Supply Chain Disruptions Task Force. He cited how U.S. manufacturing has had a steady decline, even before the pandemic, with a lot of manufacturing moving to China, South Korea, and other countries. He also noted the wage stagnation in American manufacturing. Whereas adjusted for inflation workers should be making around $40 an hour, most workers make around $20 an hour. Ezell talked about how he was happy with Biden’s push for manufacturing policy, climate change policy, and job creation, but he cautioned against the “buy American” mentality. He suggested working with the global system in place, and using a system similar to what Europe does, working with countries in close proximity to help all of them economically. Ezell also warned against the waving of intellectual property rights, saying that it would only hurt the economy.
The final speaker was Dr. Ron Williams, Director of the Strategic Entrepreneurship Center at Coppin State University, who spoke about diversifying the field as changes are being made under the Biden Administration. Williams highlighted the Supply Chain executive order and the infrastructure bill that is currently being worked on, saying that a main focus of both of these efforts was to help struggling communities of color. He wants to push for the infrastructure bill to help create new infrastructure for historically black institutions, and to continue to work on equity in the nation. Williams also applauded the idea of a Senate-confirmed Chief Diversity Officer, which would focus on promoting diversity. He also stated that the creation of new jobs in the manufacturing sector will help boost diversity among these new jobs.
U.S. House Passes Infrastructure Bill
The U.S. House of Representatives last week passed a $760 billion infrastructure package. H.R. 3684, the Investing in a New Vision for the Environment and Surface Transportation (INVEST) in America Act, passed the House by a 221-201 vote with two Republicans joining Democrats in support. The package includes $343 billion for roads, bridges and safety programs, $109 billion for transit agencies, and $95 billion for rail. It also includes $117 billion for drinking water programs and $51 billion for wastewater infrastructure. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (NY) is spearheading efforts in the Senate to craft a bill.
He has said that he wants the Senate to consider both a bipartisan infrastructure bill and a broader budget bill with Democratic support in July. Congressional leadership has indicated that it is aiming for a potential agreement between the House and Senate in the fall.
U.S. House Appropriations Committee Approves
FY 2022 Interior and Environment Bill
The House Committee on Appropriations approved the annual FY 2022 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies bill last week. The bill includes $43.4 billion in regular appropriations, an increase of $7.3 billion, or 20.2 percent above FY 2021 spending. It includes a total of $15.6 billion for the Department of Interior, an increase of $2.3 billion above the FY 2021 enacted level, and $11.34 billion for the Environmental Protection Agency, an increase of $2.11 billion above the FY 2021 enacted level.
The bill includes $375 million for Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI), an increase of $45 million for the FY 2021 enacted level. It also includes $26 million for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services invasive carp program, $10.62 million for the U.S. Geological Survey’s invasive carp program, and $14 million for the USGS’s Great Lakes Science Center. The bill could be brought to the full House for its consideration sometime this month.
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